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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A message to Netanyahu: Saturday’s attack on bicyclists is nothing new for the Israeli military

On Saturday
April 14th, a peaceful bike ride surveying the springtime beauty of the Jordan Valley was met with the ugly presence of the Israeli military, which resorted violence against bike riders who attempted to continue their casual journey up Route 90 in an act to challenge the apartheid policy Israel enforces in the
Jordan Valley, and for that matter, the rest of the occupied West Bank.

The policy by which Israel treats
the Jordan Valley is in fact parallel to the disregard and brute violence
witnessed on Saturday, which left one
Palestinian woman and two international activists from Denmark and Holland injured
after being struck in the head with an M-16 rifle. While international
press is requesting the name and details of the internationals harmed, it seems
as though the Palestinian woman injured is left as a mere afterthought of
Israel’s smearing handprint on the dignity and rights of Palestinians. The
treatment of Palestinians at the whim of Israel cannot go ignored, and
humanization is only true when it is upheld across the board.

While
international media continues to solicit ISM for commentary, sadly ISM is
receiving threats and vulgar commentary from Israelis upset by the candid image
of their vulgar Israeli military.

Currently
in the Jordan Valley the Israeli military, under the direction of its
government and settler agenda, is pursuing an ethnic cleansing of the
indigenous population currently residing there, which is conjunct with the
agenda of Zionism: to rid the land of its indigenous presence in place of a
Zionist entity.

Late Sunday evening, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack on the international
activists, but of course, there is no mention regarding the Palestinians. In an
article published by Haaretz,
he stated “Such behavior does not characterize IDF
soldiers and officers and has no place in the Israel Defense Forces and in the
State of Israel."

Israel’s
path of destruction is evident in the Jordan Valley, as International
Solidarity Movement is often in the region to peacefully obstruct the demolitions of Palestinian homes,
neighborhoods, and even entire villages by a military that Netanyahu defends as
Lt.-Col. Shalom Eisner brought down his gun upon those who were simply riding
their bicycles. The destructive
tendencies of Israel are thoroughly documented by various solidarity groups and
activists throughout the West Bank, and it is truly emblematic of Netanyahu to
selectively ignore the policy by which Israel has treated the indigenous
population of Palestine since its founding.

Of course, while
this event did solicit a surprise response from Netanyahu, Israel’s violence in
the West Bank has always targeted ISM volunteers and anyone standing for
justice. Currently an Italian volunteer is imprisoned and facing deportation
simply for
attending the Bil’in Conference segment in Hebron. The violence that occurred
that day, with Israeli military officers tackling women and men, youth and
elders, to the ground and standing above them, rifles in hand, is a typical
image of Israel that Netanyahu simply cannot undo with an empty condemnation.

That the Israeli
military murdered our beloved Rachel Corrie and Tom Handall, that on Land Day a
19
year old Mahmoud Zaqout was killed as he marched towards humanization, that
a little boy carries a
souvenir bullet in his body, provided by what Netanyahu paints to be a
civil, loving Israeli military, is ludicrously irresponsible, and it is with
complete confidence that activists state that Netanyahu’s comment is empty rhetoric
attempting to ease the ugly figure of a Zionist machine.

While calls for an investigation of
Saturday’s attack on bike riders have been made by the Israeli military, the
Palestinian community and all members to the true notion of peace, are
certain that the violent tendencies exhibited by Israel will not change until
it completely disbands from a policy of military occupation, of administrative
detention of hundreds of Palestinians, of besieging and collectively punishing
a people whose only crime is existing as the indigenous keepers of
Palestine.

1 comment:

Not surprised of course, but nonetheless, heart-breaking and horrendous that this happens. Sometimes, I hate to remember what the ISR miliraty does, as it makes me want to leave this country - I already know my taxes support such inhumane, arrogant acts. Ugh.